He's My Brother She's My Sister | 2.15

For 45 minutes on a Monday night, He's My Brother She's My Sister, an indie quintet out of downtown L.A. - with a debut album coming soon - played a concise, confident set of ghost town-folk and blues with a vaudeville aesthetic. Sure, it's not an original sound or look, but not many bands have a tap dancer (Lauren Brown) for additional percussion and a cello (Satya Bhabha) instead of a bass.

Stylish brother and sister vocalist combo Robert (guitar) and Rachel Kolar led the festivities and Rachel's scratchy vocals truly shined. Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement was in the audience of approximately 200 at the Bootleg Theater, which is basically a giant shed made out of plywood and cement in an otherwise dark City of Angels neighborhood.

Highlights included the haunting and swinging "Tales That I Tell," the band's closest thing to a hit, "I Was Born" - where the entire group, including drummer Felipe Ceballos, came center stage to join Robert and his banjo for a rootsy, familial sing-along - and "What Goes On," a rousing Velvet Underground cover. There was no self-indulgence and yet, they seemed to be completely indulging themselves.

The set might have been tight but attitudes were loose. They donned Eyes Wide Shut orgy masks, just because they felt like it. No encore was planned, but when the audience demanded one, Robert turned to his bandmates and said, "We can't disappoint them. Fuck that. Even if it sounds like shit."

See them before your friends do.

02.15.10 :: Bootleg Theater :: Los Angeles, CA
Clackin' Heels, Coattails, Straight Shooter, Choir, I Was Born, Tales That I Tell, What Goes On (Velvet Underground cover), Lazy Daze, House That Isn't MineE: How Am I Gonna Get Home